PLANS have been unveiled for a new sludge import, thickening and storage facility at Meary Veg, in Santon.
The Water and Sewerage Authority put its plans on public display at an event last week.
It’s part of the regional sewerage treatment strategy, which will see regional sewage treatment plants.
The new facility will enable the greater volumes of sludge being produced from satellite treatment works to be imported. As the sludge will have been treated, it will not need to go through the full treatment process. It will be settled and thickened in three tanks – before being processed in existing driers.
There are about 3,500 septic tanks, the contents of which are transported to Meary Veg. At present, septic waste is let into the pipework, which sewerage operations manager Bob Wright said wasn’t the best way because there was no way to control it. Instead, septic waste would be stored before being gradually transferred through the treatment process.
The resulting sludge pellets go into the Energy from Waste plant, to produce electricity.
Mr Wright said everyone who attended was happy with the plans.
He said: ‘The benefit to Isle of Man plc is the saving in energy costs and labour costs, which are quite considerable. We have the additional benefit that we are now treating sewage to a high standard whereas we were previously discharging very poor sludges into rivers and the sea. In the case of Ramsey and Peel there’s no treatment and raw sewage is going into the sea at those points.’
The work at Meary Veg is designed to meet the island’s requirements to 2033. The authority hopes to submit the planning application this month and wants to start work early in the New Year. It would take about a year to complete. Progress is being made on the regional sewerage treatment facilities. Plants at Patrick, Dalby and Bride are fully operational. Work is under way on those at Jurby and Corony. Work is about to start on those at Glen Mona and Glen Maye.
Plans have been approved for a treatment plant in Kirk Michael. The plant at Ramsey – the largest being built – is in the design stage. A review in 2015-16 will look at a plant for Peel.
Mr Wright said: ‘I’m pleased with the progress we are making. We are using all on-island main contractors to carry out the works. It’s a win-win for us and we are progressing them as fast as they can be progressed. The larger gains will no doubt come with Ramsey and Peel works being built.’
Tynwald approved £39,984,000 to cover the project’s first phase from 2011-16.